This and That Newsletter
Vol 12 Issue 578 Circulation 5,000 February 21, 2008
Ardmore, Oklahoma
email address: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
Toll Free Number in Oklahoma: 580-215-4333
Last week Al Cullum of Overbrook stopped by. I never know what history he will have to share but I always smile when he walks in because I know its going to be worth the visit. Al asked me if I ever heard of Snuff Street in Ardmore. I was born and raised here and never heard of such a street. Al explained: Back in the 50s Al and his friends called the stretch of street between E Street NW and North Washington along 12th street, Snuff Street. During that period of time there were big dips in 12th street at every intersection. He said you would go a block, and take a dip, go another block, and take a dip. Al said if you were going too fast, your head would even hit the roof of your car when you took one of those dips. So now we all know about Snuff Street of the 40s and 50s in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Thanks Al.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/SnuffStreet.jpghttp://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/AlbertCullumCard.jpg
The past few years my old 1974 Chevy pickup has never ran right. I've had several auto repair places try to fix it, had two carburetor kits installed, even had a new carburetor installed at $92 and still it never run right. As I have mentioned a couple times the past few months I was even looking to buy another pickup and sell this one to OK Iron and Metal out on P Street NE. But several times I've seen advertised in the Sooner Shopper a place in Lone Grove called Chilly Willy's Auto Repair, so I decided to try one last time to get the pickup running right. Boy was I glad I did. The owner, Will, (I think Jerico did most of the work) charged me $80 total (a manifold leak problem), and the pickup is running better now then it has in many years. With my pickup insurance only 8 dollars a month and only 111,000 original miles on it, a straight 6, its still good to drive to work, pickup up large items to bring home or especially haul junk and trash.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/74ChevyPickup08.jpghttp://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/ChillyWilly8a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/ChillyWilly8b.jpg
Speaking of hauling trash, when we moved to Lone Grove one thing I knew I'd miss was the City of Ardmore's trash drop off center at the NE edge of town near the refinery. I have used it free of charge many times especially the past few months in preparing for the move to Lone Grove. But low and behold, just a couple months before we moved I read in the Lone Grove Ledger that the City of Lone Grove just opened their trash drop off center on the west side of Lone Grove city hall. Perfect. I have used it several times now that we live in Lone Grove. Note: you must present verification you live in Ardmore or Lone Grove to use the respective drop off centers.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LoneGroveDropOff.jpgI wish every community in this county could have trash drop off centers. Like the old saying, "build it and they will come" would hold true in this case. People would take advantage of the drop off centers instead of sneaking out on rural county roads and dumping their trash. Its illegal and I wish anyone who does do that could be caught, but some get away with it to the anger of the county's property owners.
Just before our move I noticed a new pet grooming service parked just north of our house called Pawsitivly Purrfect Mobile Pet Grooming. I wish we had that service for Sweetpea the past few years when she'd come over to visit. She belonged to my neighbors, but she spent many hours hanging around our house. Sweetpea was a sweetie, but she just disappeared one day about a year or so ago, never to be seen again. Anyway, here is the traveling pet grooming service I've noticed on E street SW. Don't know who owns it, but I am glad we have this type of service. Sometimes its just better to have your dog or cat groomed at home. I know if Sweetpea was still alive, it would have worked great for her.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/MobilePetGrooming8a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/MobilePetGrooming8b.jpg
Last week I mentioned my Cableone internet and email at the old house was turned off prematurely. I went in to the local Cableone office here in Ardmore this week and talked to the office manager, Teresa Smothers, and she took care of the problem in the most professional way, even getting me a refund on the unused 2 weeks. Cableone, customer service at its best! When you got local people helping local people, that's hard to beat.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CableoneManager.jpgWe bought an 21' wide X 18' deep carport from Jac's Trailers on Lake Murray Drive and Springdale Road a couple weeks ago. This is the same place we knew as Cottingham's Bait Store when I was a kid. I snapped this picture of Jacs Place, I'm sure many of you will remember it.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/JacsTrailerPlace8a.jpg
Besides all the farm, tractor and trailer parts, store owner Jessie Clinton had a number of items in his establishment of a historical nature he's collected through the years. Here is a front and back view of the old City parking meters.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/ParkingMeterJacs8a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/ParkingMeterJacs8b.jpg
And Jessie has some Indian statues, deer antlers, a mounted deer head, old tools and the like along a couple walls.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/JacsTrailerPlace8b.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/JacsTrailerPlace8c.jpg
The owner, Jessie Clinton, took care of all the details of my order, and when the carport arrived a couple weeks later, it was everything promised. The crew installed the carport last Friday, and did a great job, but afterward I needed to get a load of gravel for underneath. I called Roger Wilkins Sand and Gravel and within a couple hours I had a load of (15 tons) 'crusher rock' ($176). But shoveling gravel is hard work, Jill and I have both been doing a little shoveling every day, gradually getting the area beneath the carport covered in crusher rock. But the pile was still going to be too large, so I called Russell Martin to bring his Kubota tractor and finish spreading the rock over the driveway area. He'll be here in a couple days to save the day, and our backs.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CarportGravel8a.jpgLast week I had a photo Doug Williams took of a geo marker he found on this newly acquired land east of Ardmore. I was swamped with emails from so many of you trying to help with identifying this State of Oklahoma marker. I will let Mike Carr, a local surveyor (and former county surveyor many moons ago) tell us in his own words:
"Butch, This is your old surveyor friend Michael D. Carr. The Brass Monument C-10-206 is a monument set by the Oklahoma State Department of Highways for the purpose of Horizontal Control. This particular monument was set in 1977. These monuments that have Tri-Station on them are generally set on hill tops where it can be visible with other monuments usually only a mile or two radius depending on the relative terrain. C-10 designates Carter County - 206 is the number of the monument in numerical order. The ODOT also sets these type monuments for Section Corners, 1/4 Section Corners, and Bench Mark Positions. Bench Marks generally deal with vertical control-ie a point relative to Mean Sea Level. ODOT can give you copies of the control Data by calling the Survey Division at 405-521-2621. Generally you would ask for Waymon Gissandaner, but I just talked to him yesterday, and he is in St. Anthony Hospital suffering from a collapsed lung. Waymon is a prince among all land surveyors as he is always so polite and helpful with us in sending current or historical land data when we are performing surveys relative to Highway locations. Other Government agencies also set Brass Monuments for Horizontal and Vertical Control. Older Brass Monuments that can be found in our area may have USGS, Oklahoma Consevation Commission, Corps of Engineers (these are older government agency names). Newer monuments are being set all the time by NOAA, ODOT, and in Ardmore a complete control set data for development of all properties and tying them to the same relative coordinate system. The City of Ardmore has a GIS (Government Information System) coordinator, Charles Brady, who on a regular basis establishes relative positions of all types of ground facilities whether it be roads, trails, pipelines, or all the various utilities. We are slowly but surely becoming a "star-trek" society in that all of the newer controls are based on satellite configurations. You may have yourself a small hand held GIS tracking instrument. Groups are playing games with them all the time now - sort of-a long range type of scavenger hunt. Fun and games but the high price of gasoline now makes it a pretty expensive hobby; however the small hand held GIS instruments can be bought for as little as a hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. They tell you at the touch of your fingers your relative position on a global basis, giving you latitude-longitude, vertical as well as relative speed if you are moving. The accuracy of the hand held units are generally not more precise than ?25 or 30 feet. Hope this helps." -Michael D.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/WilliamsGeoMarker.jpgSeveral of you wrote in since last week to say the picture of my ancestor John Carman was probably made much later than 1650 era. I did some more research and my John Carman who came over in 1631 had a son John, who had a son John, who had a son John, and so forth. So I am not sure exactly which John Carman is in the picture, but he is my ancestor. So much to learn in this genealogy work.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/JohnCarman.jpg
I have a special invite to anyone who wants to help with a group on a bus tour the end of April. The bus is coming to Ardmore in April and will need a 'tour guide' to help the sightseers on the bus tour the historical places in this area. It will probably be on a Friday. Let me know if you have a passion for Ardmore history and can help conduct the tour.
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Next time you are in Ada be sure to stop by Pete?s Catfish House. It is where Grampa?s Catfish used to be. I do not know the exact address but it is near the skating rink and anyone in Ada should be able to tell you where that is. When you go South on Mississippi, past the old K-Mart store, it is the last road going West before you go over the EW highway. I think it is Hwy 3. Fantastic Food. Pete?s Catfish is only open on Friday and Saturday evenings. Try it, you?ll like it." -Frances Dunlap
"When I graduated from college I moved to Springfield, CO. The people still talked about the broom corn being the main crop around there and the failing of the economy when they no longer produced the broom corn. The locals did not go to town on Saturday night during the harvest because the Broom Corn Johnnies got paid every Saturday and would go to town and drink up there wages. I think most of the harvest crew were migrant workers in that area."
"Butch: The deer are fun to feed etc. but beware of what they will do to Jills outdoor plants. Feed them FAR FAR from your edible plantings."
"Butch, Just a little bit of advice, hard learned by me. Having deer in proximity of rose bushes isn't what you want. You can plant Jill's roses and then fence them in, or some sort of guard around them. Deer love to eat the blooms and rose hips, and will absolutely ruin a nice rose. Good luck!"
"Butch--loved the Pete and Repeat picture and how kind of Jill and you to put the basket out so they have a nice place to sleep. Many years ago (about 70 yrs) my mother and dad and I moved to Chandler, Oklahoma where I was in 3rd grade, each morning a black and white bull dog walked up the hill back of our house and waited til he was invited in for breakfast. My dad called him Major in honor of some former boss of his who apparently had bull dog tenacity in all his plans. I think we lived there for about three years and Major never missed a morning showing up for his breakfast. When we moved to another house I used to worry and cry about Major, I pictured him sitting at the back door waiting to be invited to breakfast. I still hope he was invited in by whoever the new occupants were. As always, I love all your newsletters----you are rendering a true service to all us Oklahomans who have moved away but left our hearts behind." -sammie
"I found the rest of the pictures for the Bromide, Oklahoma quarry. The first one is the old railroad bed that runs alongside the cut at Bromide, Oklahoma.http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BromideOKquarry2.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BromideOKquarry3.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BromideOKquarry4.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BromideOKquarry5.jpg
"Butch I found an old abandoned cemetery 1 mile east of Ratliff City on highway 7 and about 500 feet north on the first road north. There are 10 graves buried there and all are children but one. Scheryl's family history book tells a story of the cemetery and how they all died from the flu. Scheryl's great-great aunt leased the farm where the cemetery is located and farmed it with her brother Carl, after her husband had been killed by a buggie accident. I have photographed and logged all of the graves and put on findagrave." -Doug Williams
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99160&CScn=Old+Monk+Cemetery&CScntry=4&CSst=38&
"To the Britton Bears: The die is cast and we now have a divine appointment to meet at Johnnie's at 2652 W. Britton Road, Oklahoma City, on Saturday June 28th at 5:00pm to 8pm. This was the agreement when we last met in 2007. Spread the word to all you know. If you have e-mail addresses or any information we need please forward this to me. Thank you." -Patty O'Dell Gilliland." patihar52@yahoo.com
"Butch, It's now called Long Island rather than New York Island."
Hi OKBIRDers, the Friends of the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge group (TREES) is having it?s annual membership event on Saturday March 1, 2008 at the Tishomingo NWR. The event is not limited to TREES members, although we encourage people to join who attend. We will have a morning bird identification workshop (8am-11am) with emphasis on waterfowl and raptors. This will include a full morning field trip around the Refuge. We will then break for lunch provided by the Johnston Country Historical Society. The lunch is free for TREES members or free with paid membership on site. See http://www.treesok.org/ for more info about our group and membership details. Attendees are encouraged to join TREES at the workshop (bring a friend too!). This group is a strong supporter of birding and ecotourism and birders form a significant core of our membership. After lunch there will be a short business meeting with presentations by the Refuge Manager, Kris Patton, and the Tish National Fish Hatchery Manager, Kerry Graves. Kerry will also be talking about their alligator snapping turtle captive breeding and release program which will be interesting. After the business meeting, there will be an afternoon wildlife photography workshop held by Larry Hancock. This will not be a ?formal? workshop, but more of a chance for people interested in wildlife/outdoor photography to learn from other photographers about their camera equipment and to share knowledge. All welcome from beginner?s on up. Bring your camera and feel free to share your pictures too. If you have any questions about the event or TREES, check out the website or you can contact me directly. Thanks and hope to see you there. If you are not a member, but plan to attend, drop me a quick email or phone call so we can give the caterers a headcount."
Doug Wood, Ph.D.
PMB 4068
1405 N. 4th Ave.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Durant, OK 74701-0609
580.745.2272
dwood@sosu.edu
"Good morning Butch. First, congrats on your move to the country. Where we live in Krum, Texas I can hear roosters crowing and very few sirens. I relish country living. Second, I toured the broom factory in Springer, Oklahoma about 58 years ago with a childhood friend and his dad who knew the owner. What a small world it truly is." -Dale
"Hi butch & Jill, Congrats on the new home. I know how good it feels to move into your own new house. It been quite awhile since we did, but our little home has been a place of comfort and refuge for our family for many years. Kudos on "This & that", I always enjoy reading it. It seems that I have experienced many of the topics sent in by your readers. A case in point: Once, as a teenager, I worked for three days in the broomcorn fields along the Washita River around Lindsay, OK. Let me tell you that was about the hottest work I have ever done. The broomcorn dust was thick and it stung the skin. Lindsay-ites boasted that Lindsay was the broomcorn capital of the world. I didn't believe that but they sure did harvest a lot of broomcorn. I did enjoy watching the brooms being made." -Bill Uhles
"The Arbuckle Historical Society Museum, located in Sulphur, OK., has recently been given three pieces of this World War 1 Cavalry uniform (winter coat with high neck collar, riding pants, and canvas leggings,) worn circa 1918-1920. We are trying to find pictures, or actual parts of this uniform to put on display. We know the gentleman wore a campaign hat with yellow braid, some sort of shoes, possibly brogans, since we have the canvas leggings. We hope to find these items, along with the various insignia worn by an enlisted man who lived in Littlefield, TX at the time he enlisted.. We hope at least some of your readers can give us information as to where we may procure some, or all of these various items needed. Please contact me with any information, photos or suggestions." ursm_17848@yahoo.com
"Butch, Referring to a couple of items in your latest T&T letter. Item 1: Ardmore-Akron Tire & Rubber Co. share #1560 ($100/share) dated 1 Jan 1919, signed by John E. Harmony, President and Roy G. Wood, Secretary, issued to Mrs. R. V. Dixon. She was born Jennie Hix (my grandmother), married to Dixon, her fifth husband (1914-1920), and living in Burkburnett, Texas. Item 2, Colvin's Ferry on the Red River: John N. Davis, born circa 1875, lived in Ragsdale, Texas, and worked as a crew boss on a steamboat that ran from Clarksville to Denison, trying to determine if the Red River was navigable. Sorry, but that exhausts my knowledge! (Note: guess where R.V. Bridges got his name!)" -Donald Bridges
"I am a granddaughter of a lady that said she was from Ardmore OK. She did not tell us much about the family during life. I am looking for information on both sides. She was Eula Mae Rankin daughter of Pleas or Pleasant Rankin and Grace (Gracie) Green(e). I know some about the Greens from another family. I know nothing of the Rankin Family nor the history of the Williams family that Eula Mae married into. I noticed the name Rankin in your T&T and wondered if they would be cuz?" -Carolyn T. Williams, Houston, Tx captrim@att.net
"Hi Butch, I enjoy your newsletter very much. I read the article last week about the ferry that use to cross the Red River from Texas into Oklahoma. I have been trying to do Genealogy on a man named Riley Howard, and was told he operated a boot legging ferry ,and he was killed while operating the ferry. I think it was late 1800s or early 1900s, in your research have you heard anything about this? I think he and his wife Nancy lived in Grayson Co. TX. Thanks." -Louann Bonham, Davis Ok. lbonham@brightok.net
"Butch: This is a real Classic of Jimmy Rodgers, the father of country music! Found it messing around on computer!" -Hoot in Healdton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIBmGZxAhg
Easter is early this year. Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
Based on the above information, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) that is rare.
Here's the interesting information. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here's the facts:
1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).
2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!
"Hi Butch, I was thinking back to when I was in grade school/middle school in Ardmore (early 80's) and we used to take "field" trips to City Hall (at that time the police station/Fire Station and jail). We also were taken to the Sheriff's Dept and County jail just down the street. I remember a couple of times that we were shown (and actually got to walk) the underground walkway to the courthouse. My memory fails me sometime, but I think it went from the Police/Fire Station to the Courthouse and was used for the transportation of prisoners for court. Was there an entry to/from the Sheriff's Dept as well? Is this walkway still open/used? Are there any pictures (old or current) of this "tunnel"? I would like to see these and hear stories (if any) of the tunnel and its use. On another note, I have heard all my life about tunnels around Caddo St. but have never heard anything concrete regarding them. Do you know anything about them? Anyone still around that knows about them? Still an entrance/exit to it? Or know the whereabouts of it? Thanks Butch, I believe I have asked enough questions for now." -Robert Zink robtoby@sbcglobal.net
To Men and Women from Wilson Who Have Served or Are Serving in the Military
The Wilson Historical Museum is compiling albums of those men and women from Wilson who, at any time, have served or are still serving in any branch of the military service. If you or a loved one would like to be included, we would appreciate receiving any of the following information: pictures, military biographies including your full name, parents? names, where you attended boot camp, where you were stationed, what your job was, wounds suffered if any, and enlistment/discharge dates. List of awards, medals, and ribbons as well as war stories, newspaper clippings, and obituaries will be included also.
Depending on the response, the amount of information used on any one person might have to be limited; please keep this in mind when choosing items to send. Also, since we prefer not being responsible for originals, good quality copies would be preferred. that do not need to be returned.
When completed, these albums will be available in the museum for your viewing and will also be offered as a retail item, proceeds of which will benefit the museum.
This invitation includes people from Wilson, along with people from the surrounding communities who attended school at Wilson or consider themselves to be part of the Wilson community. The deadline for sending information is March 31, 2008 . Please send your information to:
Wilson Historical Museum
Att: Melinda Taylor
1270 8th Street, Wilson
Oklahoma 73463.
"Mr. Bridges, I'm shocked and nicely surprised to see the name Adela. It was my Mother's first name and she was and is until now, the only one I ever knew by that name and spelling. She was 80 when she died in 1998, and it was such a sweet warm feeling to see the name in print. Just wanted to share." -Betty Freeman, Marietta
"Mr. Bridges, I was excited to find your email address on the Oklahoma History website. I have been researching my family history in Oklahoma from my home in North Carolina and your web page touched me deeply. My family search has been bountiful where the men are concerned but sadly lacking in locating the woman. I'm sure you are aware the census reports list little information on these pioneer women. My ggrandfather Jeremiah (or Jerry) Hedrick/Headrick settled in Johnston Co., Okla. with his wife Lavina in the early 1900s. I have newspaper clips from the Wapanucka News, circa 1905 and 1906, that give a glimpse of their early lives. Jeremiah's history is fairly well documented from his birth in Al, move to AR at the outbreak of the Civil War, 1st marriage in AR, and second marriage around 1897 to Lavina. My problem is I am unable to find a thing on Lavina other than her maiden name, Milligan, and her birth around 1877 in TN. A 1910 census shows a younger brother, John W. Milligan living with them. The Wapanucka News had one clip from the "Cope Dots" that states that Mrs. J.M. Headrick and her sister Mrs. John Eddington came to town. I believe the "Eddington" is a misprint, another clip states that in Dec. 1905 Ms Laura Milligan wed John Elliott. Laura's father is listed as E.W. Milligan a local planter, of course there is nothing on him either. If you are aware of anyone in the Johnston Co. area that could assist me with this info or guide me in a new direction I would be most grateful. It has become a mission of mine to give a place in our family history to the women." -Julie Martin jam12369@embarqmail.com
The Wilson News submitted by Mindy Taylor
11 - 11 - 1915
City Ordinance
Sec. 1 That as fire protection each and every business house shall keep and maintain a barrel of water either at the front or back of his or her place of business and anyone failing to do so shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined $5.00 for each day he or she so fails to place said barrels.
12 -2 - 1915
Shooting Scrape at Ardmore
Ardmore - Pete Bynum and Allen Williams died in the Hardy hospital here as a result of gunshot wounds received in a battle between officers and highwaymen at Wirt. Deputy Sheriff Bud Ballew entered the Sixty - Six restaurant while three masked men were holding up the cashier. Bynum fired at the officer and a fusilade of bullets was the result.
12-9-1915
We have just received a copy of the new paper published at Wirt, styled "Wirt Oil News" and we predict that it will be the missing link for Wirt and the oil fields. It is well gotten up and would be a credit to any town.
12-16-1915
Winter is here and so are the Hobos. It seems that some one has let it out that Wilson was "easy picking" and the town is full of them, and some of them get real sassy if you don't feed them. -- Museum Hours Tues, Thurs, Fri., Sat., 10:00a.m. - 4:00 a.m. We have a NEW scavenger hunt for the kids!!
?I don't know how many will stop for me, but they'll hear us as they walk by. But I can say for me it'll be my biggest crowd.? -Jimmie Rodgers, The Singing Brakeman
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
Oklahoma Bells: http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellpage.html
American Flyers Memorial Fund - Administration Webpage
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/crash66.html
Official American Flyers Memorial Website
http://www.brightok.net/~wwwafm
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Base Website
http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons
Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/airbase/
Carter county schools, past and present
http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Carter County Government Website
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/
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